FOI Request Uncollected Toll

Change

Reference RSN19693 Request Stage Request Date Received 15/10/2019 Date Responded 22/10/2019 Disclosure Full Exemptions / Exceptions N/A Supporting Documents RSN19693 - Recovered Monies

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G:\FOI\Request Disclosure Logs\2019-20\07 October 2019 Request

I wish to know how much drivers are forgetting to collect from the rejected coin box at Mersey Tunnel toll booths.

I would like the monthly figures for every month in the last 5 years.

Response

Thank you for your recent request made under the Freedom of Information Act.

Please find attached a spreadsheet showing excess money from the toll plazas over the past five years.

For clarity, has never separately recorded income from drivers failing to collect rejected coins. The attached figures will also include coins taken by staff when a machine has failed to work e.g. a coin jamming the machine; money taken manually by staff who have come to assist those who have driven into a lane without an Automatic Coin Machine; money thrown into ‘bunged’ non-operational Automatic Coin Machines (such as in Fast Tag lanes), and any monies found on the floor.

As part of the toll lane refresh, at the end of March 2018 we changed the way rejected coins were collected by our staff, this money is now deposited into an ACM machine either in the lane it was collected or the nearest adjacent lane, as soon as it is recovered and, as such, it is now collected and recorded as part of general tolling income.

It is also important to note that as part of the toll refresh, the Automatic Coin Machines have more visible and easily usable help buttons and coin reject slots. Contactless payments have also been introduced alongside the pre-paid Fast Tags system. Cash transactions are now made in over a quarter (27%) of all journeys.

By way of context, in 2017/18 10.7 million vehicles used the Queensway () Tunnel and 17 million vehicles used the Kingsway Tunnel, for a total gross income of £42.9 million. In comparison, the combined excess money from the plazas for 2017/18 was £41,969.39. Excess money therefore accounts for less than 0.1% of total income. Further annual accounts are available on both the Combined Authority and Merseytravel websites.

In accordance with Section 16 of the Act, to provide you with relevant advice and assistance Merseytravel can also provide you with the following information:

 There is no reason for anybody to make an overpayment; the staffed booths are there for the purpose of giving people the correct change.  Whenever the tolling machine rejects money, the coins are always returned via the reject slot. Customers should always check the slot if they believe they have entered all the coins necessary for the toll but they have not been accepted. If anyone has any issues they can press the assistance button and a toll officer will be along to help.

G:\FOI\Request Disclosure Logs\2019-20\07 October 2019  In terms of tolling overall, Merseytravel has upgraded the tolling system to make the process easier and more convenient for all tunnel users, such as making more visible and easily usable help buttons and coin reject slots for cash users, in-lane display messaging and introducing contactless payment in all lanes.  We encourage regular users of the Mersey to get a Fast Tag; this removes the need for cash to be used at the toll barriers, and City Region residents can benefit from the discounted £1 toll.  Any overpayments Merseytravel do receive go into the tunnel surplus for future investment in the tunnels and other key transport projects across the in support of an integrated transport network.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review, which should be addressed to: Mrs Julie Watling Legal, Democratic Services & Procurement Manager Merseytravel PO Box 1976 Liverpool L69 3HN [email protected]

If you are not content with the result of your internal review, you also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner, whose address is The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF www.ico.gov.uk

G:\FOI\Request Disclosure Logs\2019-20\07 October 2019 Month Birkenhead Plaza Plaza Notes Apr-14£ 354.11 £ 1,506.47 May-14£ 575.73 £ 1,396.96 Jun-14£ 411.16 £ 1,208.08 Jul-14£ 407.54 £ 1,735.66 Aug-14£ 434.14 £ 1,601.00 Sep-14£ 473.83 £ 1,418.95 Oct-14£ 477.34 £ 1,362.48 Nov-14£ 475.78 £ 1,289.41 Dec-14£ 413.81 £ 1,330.03 Jan-15£ 453.93 £ 1,226.97 Feb-15£ 415.09 £ 3,562.64 Fast Tag Lanes Introduced Mar-15£ 503.55 £ 1,480.21 Apr-15£ 625.81 £ 1,432.13 May-15£ 515.20 £ 1,297.83 Jun-15£ 498.73 £ 1,214.74 Jul-15£ 484.10 £ 1,491.55 Aug-15£ 455.19 £ 1,929.03 Sep-15£ 458.33 £ 1,419.99 Oct-15£ 584.14 £ 1,587.31 Nov-15£ 546.07 £ 1,346.58 Dec-15£ 446.18 £ 1,248.51 Jan-16£ 483.55 £ 1,511.55 Feb-16£ 484.79 £ 1,538.88 Mar-16£ 578.14 £ 1,974.48 Apr-16£ 603.21 £ 1,893.71 May-16£ 607.08 £ 1,765.36 Jun-16£ 535.99 £ 1,396.09 Jul-16£ 654.05 £ 1,753.49 Aug-16£ 606.10 £ 2,168.41 Sep-16£ 611.22 £ 1,749.66 Oct-16£ 617.69 £ 1,424.61 Nov-16£ 608.04 £ 1,456.87 Dec-16£ 571.51 £ 1,467.60 Jan-17£ 553.56 £ 1,487.80 Feb-17£ 512.27 £ 1,283.94 Mar-17£ 461.10 £ 1,912.41 Apr-17£ 650.43 £ 2,397.89 May-17£ 660.56 £ 2,669.56 Jun-17£ 642.74 £ 3,059.60 02/06/2017 Wallasey - Lane 15 crashed £400 approx taken by CSOs Jul-17£ 900.81 £ 2,954.07 02/07/2017 Wallasey - Honesty bins in operation on lanes 6,8,13 Aug-17£ 827.10 £ 3,168.56 28/08/2017 Wallasey - Lane 16 system problem Sep-17£ 932.40 £ 2,228.08 Oct-17£ 900.73 £ 3,024.37 Old £1 coin ceased to be legal tender Nov-17£ 832.21 £ 2,434.90 Dec-17£ 750.68 £ 1,924.98 Jan-18£ 542.71 £ 3,186.84 Feb-18£ 534.25 £ 3,371.55 Mar-18£ 462.48 £ 2,638.89 Apr-18£ 128.70 £ 446.48 Rejected coins now deposited in Automatic Coin Machine May-18£ 86.55 £ 279.37 Jun-18£ 71.90 £ 120.92 Jul-18£ 15.99 £ 18.02 Aug-18£ 5.10 £ 9.51 Sep-18£ 10.60 £ 4.58 Oct-18£ 12.83 £ 12.02 Nov-18£ 1.00 £ 17.35 Dec-18£ 1.80 £ 6.57 Jan-19£ - £ 1.20 Feb-19£ - £ 6.09 Mar-19£ - £ -